(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, it relates to the main body of a vacuum cleaner which produces a vacuum to draw up dust and loose dirt from rugs and other surfaces.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional vacuum cleaner is used to clean floors and floor coverings by drawing up the dirt from them in air. It does this by using a vacuum created by the difference between the internal pressure of the cleaner's main body and the atmospheric pressure. FIG. 3 illustrates the overall construction of a conventional vacuum cleaner. It is comprised of a main body 10 equipped with a driving means (not illustrated) and a dust collecting means (not illustrated), a cleaning attachment 30 through which dirt and dust are drawn from surfaces to be cleaned by the vacuum generated in the main body 10, and an extension pipe 20 and a connecting hose 22 that connect the cleaning attachment 30 with the main body 10. The ends of the connecting hose 22 are respectively attached to the main body 10 and one end of the connecting joint 21, on which a handle 23 is formed. The other end of the connecting joint 21 is connected to the extension pipe 20, which is also fitted with the cleaning attachment 30, so that the extension pipe 20 may communicate with the connecting hose 22. Reference numeral 24 denotes a control portion.
The main body 10 produces a vacuum by the operation of a motor (not illustrated), the driving means, and includes a dust collecting bag that serves as the dust collecting means (not illustrated). The main body 10 also includes front and rear wheels 11 and 12 on its bottom for facilitating its movement.
The connecting joint 21 and the connecting hose 22, which are made of a flexible material, are passages through which dust and dirt are drawn into the main body of the vacuum cleaner. The cleaning attachment 30 includes a suction hole 31 that communicates with the extension pipe 20 through the cleaning attachment's 30 suction path 32, through which the dirt from a surface to be cleaned is drawn into the main body 10 along with air. Reference numeral 33 denotes a roller that allows the cleaning attachment 30 to move more easily.
Once a user turns on the conventional vacuum cleaner by using the control portion 24, the motor (not illustrated) of the main body 10 goes into action to create a vacuum. Thus, as the air is drawn into the main body 10 at high speeds sequentially through the cleaning attachment 30, the extension pipe 20, the connecting joint 21, and the connecting hose 22, the dirt and dust on surfaces to be cleaned are drawn into the main body 10's dust collecting bag (not illustrated) by way of the suction hole 31 and the suction path 32. That is, the dirt is inhaled through the cleaning attachment 30 by the vacuum created in the main body 10, and is finally collected in the main body 10 through the extension pipe 20 and the connecting hose 22.
Since the user cleans floors and floor coverings with this conventional vacuum cleaner, the user must move the cleaning attachment 30 over a large surface. Consequently, the main body 10 also moves about the floor. Though the front and rear wheels 11 and 12 accommodate frontwards and rearwards motion and allow the main body 10 to move smoothly in those directions, they can not provide for the smooth left or right rotation of the main body 10. Instead, the rotational force is applied to the end of the connecting hose 22 that is connected with the main body 10, thereby causing damage to the connecting hose 22. These factors pose an inconvenience to the user and a decrease of the vacuum cleaners's cleaning efficiency.